Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for Religion Unplugged and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.
Why did the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the NBA title mean so much to our Weekend Plug-in columnist — just a casual fan? It’s simple: This is about much more than basketball, y’all.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still praying. Presumably, so are the Indiana Pacers. Plus, a big rally for Pope XIV at the Chicago White Sox ballpark, and an NFL head coach says God guides him.
At a Virginia church, Minister Chess Cavitt preached a message emphasizing the importance of the Lord’s Supper before worshipers — about 50 in all — rose from their seats and gathered on all sides of four tables. Believers greeted fellow Christians with handshakes and hugs — and gazed into each other’s eyes as they ate of the bread and drank of the cup.
At its annual meeting in the Dallas, the nation’s largest Protestant nomination tackled social issues such as same-sex marriage, online porn and sports betting.
Just one of the NBA’s 30 franchises tips off each game with an invocation: the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s a tradition that dates back to the Seattle SuperSonics’ move to OKC in 2008 — and even before that when the Bible Belt city served as the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Texas Rangers slugger Jake Burger’s return to form coincided with the election of a fellow Midwesterner as the first U.S.-born pope. Faith is ingrained in the devout Catholic athlete and his family.
Phil Robertson, who gained national fame as the bearded, camouflage-clad Duck Commander, “has gone to be with Jesus,” his Louisiana church family confirmed. The reality TV star and Bible teacher — known for leading hundreds, if not thousands, of souls to Christ — died this past Sunday at age 79. His family had revealed last year that Robertson faced early-stage Alzheimer’s and other health problems.
Our Weekend Plug-in columnist loves baseball. And he loves reporting on faith. Combining the two? He calls that a home run.
On a recent 78-degree Saturday afternoon, a U.S. flag and the Detroit Tigers’ four World Series championship banners — from 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 — flapped in the Comerica Park breeze. For nearly four decades, Home Plate Detroit has brought fans together to pray and hear player testimonials. In the Motor City and elsewhere, these events mix a faith-based message with a major league game.
Sure, drinking and cheating songs characterize a whole lot of the country music genre, known for its roots in working-class, blue-collar American life. But faith, too, infuses many Nashville hits, as illustrated by the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
In a presentation at the Associated Church Press annual convention in Chicago, our Weekend Plug-in columnist reflects on his experience covering natural disasters.
When the leader of the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics passes, it’s always banner-headline news.
On the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, our columnist reflects on how covering the biggest story of his life changed him.
Religion Unplugged’s readers see Clemente Lisi’s stories all the time. Here are seven facts to help the audience get to know him better.
Religion News Association members gathered this week just outside the nation’s capital for their annual meeting. They discussed topics ranging from AI to reporting on religion in small markets.
When covering a tragedy, faith almost always emerges as a part of the story. That was the case again this past weekend when a monster storm system struck the Deep South and the Plains.
This week marks the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown. Mostly, life has returned to normal. But in some ways we still seem to be struggling, our columnist notes.
In a California meeting, Compelling Preaching Initiative participants enjoyed how-to sessions on the content, crafting and delivery of sermons as well as one-on-one coaching and fellowship with other men — and women — of God.
Some of the nation’s top religion writers offer insights on what they found surprising — and not surprising — in the Pew Research Center’s massive Religious Landscape Study.
At the five-year anniversary of COVID-19, our columnist reflects on his brother-in-law’s near-death battle with the contagious virus.
Our columnist witnesses a whole lot of despair, but he always looks for a measure of hope. He explains why — and how — as he reports from the scene of Southern California’s deadly wildfires.
The pain is still raw. The sobs are still hard to control. A month after wildfires broke out that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area, Christians are still grappling with their losses.
For the most fervent of the football faithful, the Super Bowl — which last year drew a record 123.7 million U.S. viewers — brings rituals and traditions with a quasi-religious feel. But at least one Christian scholar has concerns.
Hoss Ridgeway mixes preaching and stand-up comedy. The Indiana minister says he knows when it’s appropriate to be funny — and when the situation calls for a serious approach.
President Donald Trump’s latest inaugural speech was notable not for its inclusion of God but for the specific personal nature of what he said.
Shrinking church attendance. Closing congregations. Minister shortages. Post-COVID upheaval. All those factors contributed to the strong interest in the dialogue organized by Heritage21, which partners with churches to — as the ministry puts it — “renew, repurpose and replant God’s kingdom in these challenging times.”
In the late 1950s, a young man named James O. Maxwell enrolled at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas. Maxwell’s time at Southwestern — the only historically Black higher education institution associated with Churches of Christ — changed his life, and he became one of the fellowship’s most influential ministers.
Our recent column on whether all dogs go to heaven generated some precious responses and a few emails that reminded us why dogs — and not some grumpy humans — are considered man’s best friend.
At Thursday’s state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, speaker after speaker referenced the humble Georgia peanut farmer’s commitment to God.
DeMeco Ryans’ sermon coincided with the start of Vacation Bible School at Fifth Ward, just off heavily traveled Interstate 10 in view of high-rises and Daikin Park, home of MLB’s Houston Astros. The church — about 11 miles from NRG Stadium, where the Texans play — traces its roots to the 1930s tent revivals of the famous traveling evangelist Marshall Keeble.